CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

Sign up for a regular newsletter from your local CPS Area

Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

Married man guilty of sexually abusing teenage girls in Blackpool

A 26-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually abusing three teenage girls in Blackpool in 2019.

03 February 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Man jailed for raping 15-year-old girl

A man who raped a teenage girl has been jailed for eight years.

The 15-year-old victim was with a friend in Manchester in the early hours of 14 July 2022.

20 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Barrow woman convicted of making false rape allegations

A young woman has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice after maliciously making false allegations of sexual abuse, violence and rape against men.

03 January 2023 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Police officer sentenced for possessing indecent image of children

Lee John Ashcroft, 39, formerly of Greater Manchester Police, has been sentenced today at Liverpool Crown Court for making an indecent image of a child (IIOC).

19 December 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Teenagers sentenced for Wigan rape

Tyquante Reid, 18, and a 16-year-old boy have been sentenced to six years eight months and six years six months detention respectively for raping an 18-year-old woman in Wigan in April 2022.

29 November 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Hindley man jailed for kidnapping and sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl

Michael Owen was seen talking to the girl outside a nightclub in Leigh in the early hours of 13 March 2022, and despite her obvious intoxication, he forced her into a taxi and took her back to his home in Hindley.

15 November 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Carlisle rapist jailed

A 23-year-old man has been sentenced today at Carlisle Crown Court for raping a woman he met on social media.

28 October 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Blackburn child sex offender jailed

A 71-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison today at Preston Crown Court.

Steven Duxbury, who pleaded guilty to exposure and sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13, is already subject to a sexual harm prevention order to prevent reoffending.

13 October 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Ministry of Defence Police firearms officer sentenced for making indecent images of children

A 24-year-old former Ministry of Defence Police officer has been sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court for making indecent images of children in June 2021.

23 September 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Ex-schoolteacher jailed for systematic sexual abuse of children

A 76-year-old ex-teacher has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for sexually abusing 19 young boys.

05 September 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , North West News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

Please note that our Press Office is not able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or visit contact.cps.gov.uk.

If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:

Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders

We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.

We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.

Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.

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